South Africa

Disneyland

Huntington's 100th aka LIfe of the Party

Eden Climber

Okay -- last post (I think) for a while: Spot the typo!!!

@DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)

These Otto pictures are a great treat! Thank you for posting. Do you happen to know the purple/magenta rose behind the South Africa group?

I love how vibrant SA is! I have one but for whatever reason, mine does not produce that many buds. The bloom themselves are very large and showy but I wonder if no more than 7-8 per plant is normal. I wish I could get her to be more prolific. She is also slow to open, but when she does, she's like the Sun.

LEH puts her spell on me, as always, not that I will ever be able to find her.

Everything looks amazing!

Artist -- I'm pretty sure behind SA are some Austins -- but I can't say for sure which ones! I'd only be guessing at this point! But you could copy that pic and send to Otto's and ask them! :-)

Most of my roses don't look like Ottos! But I think with time and fertilizing, some are closer than they were last year. But also, I think they do the DA thing and plant a few bushes close together...Good luck with yours!

Deborah, thanks so much for posting all these interesting pics. I'm going back up to read your ID of the roses you posted last night, but I did guess Augusta L correctly. By the way, do you ever get time to rest? I became more tired just reading all your recent activities. And Happy Birthday! I wish I'd known to send you a card. I hope you got lots of Canadian baked goods and roses. I love the photo of The Alnwick Rose above. Very, very beautiful and the little buds are perfect, like little ladies in waiting. Have you visited Wollerton Old Hall on one your trips to England? Try to get to that one. It's featured quite a bit in The English Garden Mag, and is by far one of my favorite gardens in England as viewed in photos and described in articles. That rose that Artist asked about looks a wee bit like Ascot. But probably not. I spotted the typo and laughed, but Kitty's Grandmas Hate Us takes the trophy for best typo. I thought of my Boscobel Army when I saw South Africa, but I'll bet Otto's has more than one plant there. I know that who that Austin guy Marriot or something is. I don't think he works for Austin anymore. I should send you the mag that features him and his girlfriend's garden. He's very interesting looking. Your Moonlight in Paris above is deevine, and Lavender Simplicity is perfect with more ladies in waiting.......Don't you think that Kristine's crossing guard turkey sorta is---He is the very model of a modern Major General!( I can't get that earworm out of my head).

I'll be back one more time. You are not free of me yet. Diane

Boy, did I ever do a lot today. Took off all of the rose blankets, brought all the strawberries outside (20 pots or so)...Don helped me with the really heavy ones, almost finished my pruning in the garden, and then I used the neighbor's grass de-thatcher push machine and then his lawn mower to pick up all of the dead grass from that. We have a very big yard; it was really hard. I did it all, but man, it was challenging. Phew! All of you who have been staggering in half-dead from working in the yard...I feel you. lol

Deborah - no, the Palatine roses were good (not as great as other years, but good)...it was the HB-101 roses that were terrible. Yes, my toe is good. Actually went for a walk with socks and shoes on. But, I forgot about it and kicked a little tennis ball to get it out of the way of the dethatcher...and hoo boy...my toe let me know. But all of this toe talk is pretty boring. :) :) Roses are outside without blankets on (except for the babies). Oh, yes...find time to post. :) :) We need each other's pictures and each other's shared enthusiasm. :) :) Wow! That is very nice of your neighbor to thank you for the beauty of your flowers...what a wonderful thing for him to do. It's nice to think that your garden brightens someone else's day. :) I had a dog who did just that..at the dog park, a lady was crying and wailing and praying and I asked her what was wrong and she had lost her car keys in this humungous area. I got my dog, Jellybean, to sniff her hand and told her to go find. She quartered the area and then found them after about 5 minutes. The lady was ecstatic. :) :) I was so proud of my poodle. :) :) Yeah, I steered clear of "go potty" and use either "go fence" (because their area is in a fenced place accessible through a garage door) or "go to your place." My Chandos Beauty is coming from Ontario from a place I haven't tried before "Pretty Petals." I hope the roots are really good! Thanks about my swimming!! :) :) Don told me to say lengths instead of laps...so that would be 60 lengths or 30 laps...not as far. :) Oh yes...I want to say SWOON over your flower pics!!! :) :) Wow...I bet that liver would taste good...bacon and butter...I'd probably eat that, and I'm fairly fussy. I have never heard of Euphorbia before...what a unique plant! The flowers are beautiful!! And poisonous to gophers...probably deer too. Holy Hannah...that Dahlia is GORGEOUS!!!!!! I would swoon if it were a picture from your yard. :) :) I also really love your Moonlight in Paris...scrumptious and wonderful!! Another fave of mine is your PCdM!!! :) :) Everything looks so beautiful!!

Kitty - Yes, I have about 10 more minutes of cutting back garden plants, and then I'm done. Phew! Yes, replace the big, leafy bush with a hydrangea!! :) :) Tiring job, though. Yes, temps are warming up. Sat will be 21C/70F!!!!!!!! AMAZING weather!!! :) :) I'm probably going to do some pruning of my roses. They all had nice new top growth which got bent over and broken by the weight of the blankets (from many, many days of covering/uncovering). I'm going to cut the broken stuff off. Then, maybe, I'll take some pics...see how tired I get. :) The new roses are outside in large pots, but I'm babying them by covering them up at night. You are wrong...lol...70 is too hot to walk. I'm awesome with cold weather and such a wimp with hot weather. Happy planting!

Carol, I took your 60 laps to be 60 lengths, so I'm just as impressed as ever. I'm equally impressed by Jellybean. Good Heavens. That lady must have been so thankful. Well done getting all that done today.

Deborah, thanks for the Otto photos. I can only hope that my South Africa comes anywhere near theirs. Mine is only first year and, like Artist's, hasn't had many blooms, but my, they are beautiful. What a great simile, Artist.

Deborah -- I love all those photos of Otto's that you've posted, and how lovely that they let you visit on a Monday for your birthday. I know what you mean about wanting to go to your happy place; that's how I feel about the NY Botanical Garden. That bloom of Lady Emma Hamilton is stunning. I'd really like to go to Otto's someday, but it looks like it's 2 hours from where my family lives. I'm surprised anyone could describe your euphorbia as "horrible plants." I've seen them growing in mixed borders out here, and I think they're striking. They look like a plant that shouldn't be hardy in our zone, but is. I think the cherry petals would only get slippery in the rain since they are otherwise so thin and dry up rather quickly. Your Moonlight in Paris is stunning; it looks like a must-have.

Kitty -- That photo of Anastasia behind the cherry tree is so sweet. And your spring garden is really coming to life. I assume the utility company lops off the tops of the cherry trees when they get too close to the power lines. They are an odd choice for our city streets since they grow rather low and wide, and I saw some branches rubbing up against apartment buildings. But I'm glad someone made an impractical choice! I much prefer them to the smelly Bradford pears, which were so popular for planting along city streets at one point.

Trish -- I can't believe caterpillars decimated your clivia! I wouldn't think bugs would mess with their strappy leaves. I hope it recovers.

Carol -- That's funny you are already watching Dog Show U.K. My partner and I joke that that show is what helped us get through his long-term illness when it was at its worse last spring/summer, but it's actually true. A new season has come out in the U.K., and I keep checking to see when it'll be available here. Glad it sounds like you keep getting closer to true spring! I think you asked about my lithops a while back and I forgot to answer you. They look like they are in their splitting stage right now. I lost another section of the reddish one, which just shriveled and dried up. I almost never water the things, so maybe I missed that the red one was getting too dry. (I've read you're supposed to water them when they get wrinkly.) The others have never had problems.

A Bolero bloom this morning.

Kristine - I love the coloring on Mr Darcy aka Darcy B. :) :) I didn't know the toms would look after the hens like that. I'm so glad I'm done all the school stuff. You are your daughter's hero! Happy birthday, Kristine!! Twenty bags of bark...you're a true gardener!! I just asked for some more metal troughs like my raspberries are in. Don vetoed that idea...he knows I have a collecting problem (I once had 11 leopard geckos) and he said 2 troughs are enough.

Diane - I googled Fruit Twist Calendula...a nice mix of colors. That'll be lovely. I remember telling you to use bamboo stakes to keep the quail out...I'm so glad that it has worked for you! :) :) Clancy and the calendulas...I think he'd like that. :) I'm going to plant my Calendula seeds next year. I have those hydrangeas coming for the front bed and I don't want to plant the seeds until they come. Oh, for sure!! This medication has been a real blessing. :) :) lol You needed your cupcakes. :) :) You've been working nonstop on your garden for a while...2 weeks? You do need to be done and have a cupcake or 3. :) lol...I laughed over the orange vest and crossing guard sign.

Deborah - yes, I think it's because I bent over when I was trimming. The fall is when I do the most of the cutting back of the garden plants...and Don said he'd do it next year. What a sweetie! A garden stool is a good idea...though it couldn't be too low or I'd never get up. lol At least I don't have to contend with Zephyr's poop in the garden like I've always had to do. So no plastic/rubber/whatever they are gloves that would always break. That's a HUGE plus. He would always poop in the worst places...my pots, the garden, ugh. A swim team...lol...I've always sucked at any sport. I saw that elephant video. They went into action really quickly. Happy Birthday, Deborah!! What a great present to go to Ottos..I'm surprised they let you come. Rose day sounds extra special and to be surrounded by the smells and verdancy of their soil/plants...what a treat! The cover of darkness so the squirrel will rest there overnight and then will be more likely to stay there. Good undercover work! Oh my goodness...what a beautiful The Alnwick Rose bloom!!!! And the color on the LEH bloom is exceptional.

That alnwick rose is so fluffy! Always debating whether or not to get this one. The raspberry scent is appealing.

Carol, I got a lot more than cupcakes--really overdid it. Lots of cookies, too, and the prices haven't gone up, either......I've used bamboo stakes for 30 years at least. I use them for everything and have all sizes....... You had 11 geckos? Yow. Did you get them at a reptile shop? Yes, Don will help you draw the line on your collecting. Did you get my "he is the very model of a modern major general"? That's a well known song from Gilbert & Sullivan's, The Pirates of Penzance. A favorite. That turkey fits that song perfectly.

Windowsill, I love the cherry tree walk. So much nicer and more beautiful than the horrible, monster size honey locust trees we have along our hell strip. We have to take care of them, but we don't own them. And I also love the weirdness of your lithops and Carol's lithops too. I should have gotten some for Jemma's birthday. She's good with weird plants--all plants, actually. Bolero is luscious. I remain amazed at the blooms you get with just windowsills. And I have noooo blooms yet, but buds starting up. Diane

I’m so enjoying reading everyone’s posts. Must go to work soon.…… so I’ll chat just a bit.

Thank you, about my garden. It‘s coming along! Really a lot more leaves today! It rained just a sprinkle-looks good. 63F today. More tulips in orange, yellow, pink & lilac all opened today. photos

tomorrow….

Deborah,

Happy Birthday!

Thank you for sharing your tour to Ottos! That must have been amazing to see the DA gardens, the tour and watch them irrigate w/ fertilizer-good trick, and amend soil for pots! Fabulous! I would love to see Ottos! You were so kind to the squirrel. I hope he can start a new home .

Diane,

Those Canadian baked goods sound yummy! Do you pick them up where?

I’m excited about your soon to be Edwards trip!

Carol,

I think i’m confused about laps , too. 60 lengths is huge! I can’t believe you worked that hard in your garden! I didnt know you could do all that!

Windowsill,

Thank you! Kwanzans are amazing! Your lithops & Bolero are beautiful!

Deborah - lol...saliva. :):) I'm in love with that Life of the Party rose at Ottos!! I hope mine can get inspired by that. :)

Trish - :) :) Yes, Jellybean was the smartest dog I've ever known. I loved giving my earlier poodles choices...do you want this or that...but Teddy and Sugar aren't smart enough to do that. They just stare. Or maybe I'm not smart enough to read their minds. lol

Windowsill - I just stumbled across Dog Show U.K. about a month ago, so I probably have lots of shows to watch. I'm glad it helped your partner when he was sick. A new season!! Excellent!! It's my favorite dog show. Oh, your Lithops are so pretty!! I have the green one...mine aren't as pretty as yours are...I used straight cactus blend which is just basically rock. lol I'm getting some new Lithops to add to my collection and I think I'll replant them all then. I've got mine outside today...they just don't get enough sun in the house...there are no windows that get sun...except for one...and that one's occupied by my Strep. Your Lithops are nicely plump. I did have to water my Lithops about a month ago...probably because they're in such a dry medium. That is a fabulous Bolero bloom!! Well done!!

Diane - oh, drat...I thought that I had mentioned bamboo stakes to you. Well, as long as they work. :) Cupcakes, cookies and no price jump...that's good to hear. Some geckos I had shipped to me. I raised my own worms too. They changed from a worm to a beetle (by putting the worm in a film cannister) and then the beetles mated and had babies. They all had huge cages. So, yeah...I have to be watched. lol We also had millipedes, hermit crabs, chameleons...my poor long suffering husband. :) I hadn't gotten (last post) to the Gilbert & Sullivan song. Yes, I got that. Now, whenever I think of turkeys, that son will pop into my head. lol Hey, you have buds starting!!

Don't have to cover the roses tonight...but Sunday night is badly written (Galaxy Quest)...temps go down to -1C/30F. I could chance not covering them...but why? After that there's no covering at all. So I didn't cut back all the dead/bent over growth. Rotten Sunday night. Boooo!!

Carol, that's interesting to hear you say that your roses from Palatine weren't quite as large as usual. I always pot my bare roots up to 5 gallon pots for awhile before putting them in their permanent homes. I usually have to cut off some of the roots to fit. But this year, two of the five I got from Palatine were kinda small, so I put them in 3 gallon pots to get going. The two "new to me" roses I got, Sweet Delight and Sweet Beauty were normal sized, but I also ordered three legacy roses I grow or have grown over the years, hoping for good results on Multiflora, which does well for me. So two of the three (Papa Meilland, Tiffany, and Dolly Parton) got put in 3 gallons. Can't remember which ones, and it's dark so I can't check at the moment. They're all growing well, so hopefully it won't matter in the long run.

Deborah, I grow several salivas, but Mystic Spires is my favorite saliva, lol. The motto of the grammar police is "to serve and correct" :-D

Here's my front yard rose corral yesterday... I think spring has sprung

Deborah, yes, your Euphorbia is what I asked about. It's interesting that it's poisonous to gophers. What about deer and voles? I assume is bad news for them, too. I should try some of this. And the Brits love Euphorbia in their gardens. Every castle and estate garden features Euphorbia. I don't think I've read an article about a fancy schmancy garden that doesn't have some kind of Eurphorbia livening up the scene with acid green. There seem to be many kinds. Morning glories and daffodils are toxic to deer and other animals, so they are never bothered. And nothing seems to bother all my penstemon, which is a lifesaver.

Wow, Susan, Yes, spring has sprung for your garden. It's merely attempting to spring here. I am a grammar police person, too. Diane

Diane, one of my pet peeves is the use of "anyways" instead of "anyway". We started noticing it about 20 years ago, but only with teenagers. But now it is ubiquitous even among older adults who should know better... ugh. For the last 5 years of my teaching career, two of the print-outs on my front bulletin board addressed this. One said "There is no such word as anyways, it's anyway" and next to it was something I copied online with a badge for the grammar police, saying "to serve and correct". Anyway...

Susan -- I'd be blissed out if I were surrounded by all those roses. Clearly what the world needs is fewer front lawns and more rose corrals. What a beautiful and inspiring photo.

I've found that Grandmas Hate Us pairs well with Wicked Sister, and it looks like Saliva "Rose Marvel" would be a great as a companion plant for both. ;) In my job, I do a lot of editing/proofreading, and it's made me appreciate an amusing typo. They are such human things. I'm the last line of defense against typos at my organization, and it's been liberating in a way to realize you can never be perfect. I only have one brain and one set of eyes.

Kitty - I felt like I was almost dead when I was finished. :)

Susan - I can't believe your corral area!!! The colors are intense...what a party for the senses...there must be a lot of fragrance in there!! I went up for another look...WOWZA and SWOON!! That's interesting that you thought your Palatine roses were a bit smaller too. Although, they're still quite good!

I can't believe I'm all caught up! I soooo want my roses to be in the backyard...to me that's when it seems like it all starts...when they're in the front, it's just not the same. Have to cover up the roses tomorrow night (in the rain), but that may be the last time for this year.

Carol, I kept thinking now I can take it more easy because I'm winding up the last of the first round of chores, and then I remembered it will be time to plant in about a week or so--hot peppers, tomatoes, basil cucumbers, nasturtiums, and a ton of penstemon, maybe some coreopsis, and snapdraongs, and finishing up some sowing of seeds, not to mention a huge job of thinning seedlings in front where I have masses of poppy ssedlings, and I can't tell what else. There are just a whole lot of seedlings after I did my flinging. I plan to fling more alyssum and wildflower type seeds, which the quail will probably devour. Oh, well. I have a third round of dealing with a new onslaught of tree suckers. They just won't quit......Still, I'm glad you're feeling like you can relax a bit and enjoy the nice weather. I enjoyed patio sitting while doing some bird observation. Just the usual. Then i jumped up and realized I had to do a lot of hand watering where the new campanula beds are and some other areas that need watering. More later of this boring stuff. But it was nice to sit in some warm sunny weather with no wind.

Kitty, I'm enjoying your tulips, hyacinths, and that pink bush you said you would have to look up. I have no idea what it is, but it's very pretty and unusual. Are you back working with your people? You mentioned having to get ready for work. With all your gardening responsibilities, how do you fit work work in? And how has the repair work gone? I hope it's finished up, but that kind of thing can take a while. I have lots of small rosebuds popping out on my plants, which is nice, but a couple of roses are perturbing me. My Evelyn in back is a mess and needs a lot of old thick canes sawed off. Ray has to do that job. He just picked up my bagged soils, so I hate to start in on cane removal. My favorite NuLife Compost is no longer available around here anymore. The small local Farm and Ranch Chain isn't carrying it, and neither is anybody else. So, I'll try a different compost. Darn it. Anyway, that Evelyn looks awful and is not leafing out well. She needs some new canes. And my newest little Angel Face looks like it has lost a cane or two to that intruder who messed up my smoke bush. AF is very near the smokebush, so it's possible. It's now a one cane wonder, the first I've ever grown. Ugh. Well, have a good week ahead with nice warm weather and lots of planting. Diane

Some pics from the past. Augusta Luise is coming along very well, so there will be new blooms in a few weeks.

Susan,

Oh, My! You have a larg coral of bloomin’ roses! How lovely! Spring is really taking off for you!

Carol,

Only tonight to cover roses once more… then they go in the back ysrd! YAY! Beautiful spring around your corner! Your work really was amazing yesterday-I hope you feel better! I hope you rested well. Please be careful & enjoy! I am so excited about your roses! They will be beautiful!

Diane,

I’m glad you enjoy your porch and listen to the birds! Sit back & relax! Why do we have gardens if we don’t take time to enjoy them. I see you have tons of plans for flower seeds coming up & veggies! It’s so exciting. Thank you regarding my tulips & other projects. I will focus in them tomorrow. Hee, hee!

TODAY

61F, little cool, but sunny.

I spent the morning refreshing my memory on fertilizers and ingredients… I enjoy reading about their nutrients…. take a look on Ingrid’s fertilizer thread for growing her roses today….

Fun facts about Espoma , fish, Alfalfa and few other organics….Love those fertilizers….cow or chicken manure & alfalfa are especially fabulous!

I am working full time, , but hope to take a break, occassionaly. Cosmetics & delivering a ton-my only job now-best!!. Construction estimates are done & contracted. Construction work begins in 1-2 weeks.

i need to garden & get ready for work now….. catch you-all later.

I need to hand water pots on porch & check all plants daily . All my bare roots are very leafy now-It’s exciting. All potted roses are outside on porch all the time now. Ranunculus, lettuce, carrots, all on porch. All hardening off. . More garden plans on Monday…..still need prune hydrangeas & seed lawn…..

Diane -- I look forward to seeing your Augusta blooms in a few weeks' time, as well as all the veggies you're planning to get. With the exception of the Knockouts, all the roses around here either do not have buds yet or only have small buds. I've noticed that many people around here don't bother to prune their roses (the ones in front of apartments and row houses), and some clearly look like they'd benefit from it. The Maybe Falstaff in the little park by me is setting a bunch of buds, so I'm really looking forward to its forthcoming display. If Jemma likes weird plants, then she might enjoy lithops. And maybe air plants, too.

Kitty -- A lot of people have been talking about alfalfa on here, so I feel inspired to try it again. I'd stopped because it sort of created an odd smell in my apartment when I watered my roses. But I'm thinking I can maybe bury it a few inches below the soil surface and it won't be a problem. I wish I could try fish emulsion, but even cooking fish in my apartment makes the whole place stink ;)

I think the shrub with pink flowers that you have may be a heather, assuming it's low-growing.

Carol -- I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that it's truly the last time you have to cover your roses. You deserve a break already!

I love spring but hate how fast it goes by. I feel like it's so easy to miss things. These are some blooms I came across at the the little city park near me yesterday.

Then we went over to the state park to catch the kanzan cherries for their all-too-brief but exuberant show.

Younger kanzans and the skyline.

I've always loved these two redbuds. (You can just see Ellis Island to the right, in the distance.)

The daffodills are nearly finished, but the lilac and viburnum are blooming.

After this, the heavens opened up and we got completely drenched!

I've got some of the rose blankets that I used to cover the babies in the dryer. I have a few more to dry, too. It's raining which is nice for the bulbs I planted...and I won't have to water the roses with buckets (although, I think after tonight we can use the hoses...YAY!!!). High today of 4C/39F. After today it starts to warm up...hallelujah!!!!! Friday will have a high of 25C/77F!!!! :) :) :) I sure don't want to cover up the roses tonight, but I have to.

Diane - Planting annuals, though, is such a rewarding endeavor!! Oh, I continued reading, and I see, you have a whole lot of gardening to do still!!! At least the quail will help you with your seedling thinning. :) It'll be worth it, Diane. You can do it! Oh, tree suckers, too. Yes, I get them in my small garden...but only about 2/season. You probably get a lot more. Now I'm tired after reading all the work you have to do. Take your time. Have lots of breaks...watch the birds. :) I can't imagine having roses that need their canes sawed off...my roses never get that big. Thankfully, Ray can help with that. Poor guys always have to do the brute force stuff. Poor Angel Face...I have a few one cane wonders...but that's normal for me. It's hard to imagine you having a one cane wonder. Oh my Stars and Garters (comic book phrase from the Beast, lol when I was a teenager), those Augusta Luise blooms are divine!!! I think I like the peachy colors the best...but it's hard to say...they're all incredibly beautiful!!!

Kitty - yes, this nonsense of covering/uncovering is almost done. I wish the overnight weather could be warmer...but it is what it is. I think I have 2 roses that have died. They were small, tiny roses from last year...own root...so they may come back. Thanks, Kitty!! Your construction work begins in a few weeks...it's mainly on the uppermost floor, right? So it shouldn't be as onerous as having them in your main floor. But, still. I hope it goes smoothly. I'm glad your potted roses are outside full time. That makes it a bit easier. :)

Windowsill - thanks for the crossed fingers. :) I really hope that's the case. :) :) My goodness!!! Exquisite cherry tree blossoms!!!!! Utterly breathtaking!!! :) :) The skyline, the peonies and Penny are wonderful too!!!

Very quick updates here -- first -- I think I may have contributed to incorrect information here -- I thought someone said their bare roots from Palatine were disappointing, but they corrected me and said it was HB 101 or something like that, not Palatine. I *think* that was Susan. So I don't want Palatine to suffer for my mistake! Second, re typos, I like keeping track of student mistakes -- like citing the "lame man" (you know the colloquialism -- "the layman" -- meaning non clergy or non expert? I guess if you don't know about laymen, you wouldn't realize what's being said aloud). -- but it always makes me laugh -- "according to the lame man" or the "lame man's way of thinking." Another one that gets me is when I've talked about scapegoats and scapegoating, and students talk about the "escape goat" in their papers or exams. In fact, a friend gave me a children's book for my birthday this year, called "The Escape Goat" because she thought of me when she saw it! And, Diane, not only did I have the modern major general in my head for a day or two, but you also made me think of another oldie -- if I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake... I meant to say something, but it slipped my mind! And speaking of my birthday -- my girlfriends threw me a "birthtea" today -- they made a lovely "high tea" and we all wore hats. It was planned to take place in a lovely garden outdoors, but an unexpected shower drove the party inside. Cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, scones, fresh cream, fresh fruit, champagne, tea, some chocolates, a little blueberry cake cut into squares...I'm sure I'm leaving something out! But it was a lovely, cozy time inside, and when we couldn't eat anymore we sat in the cozy parlor around the fireplace. What wonderful friends and what a wonderful day! I am well chuffed. And I guess we can't complain that we got very English weather! :-)

Always enjoy the Penny Pics! Thank you, windowsill! I wonder if you could make your own alfalfa tea, and then just put tea on your roses? I hear the tea concentrates the helpful chemical components in the alfalfa. I first typed "distills" but then realized that the chemists among us might correct me -- I don't know the right terms -- but the *vital essences* are somehow transmogrified and concentrated in the tea! 😜 The saliva rose marvel sounds like something the Weasley twins would have carried in their shop.

Carol, so glad you are moving past the blanket stage! I know I'm missing a lot now -- but I'm too tired to read the posts properly! Have a lovely night and a wonderful week. May your roses be ever fragrant and healthy!

🥰

Deborah, loved your stories of the students' mangling of the language. Reminds me of when my students would copy someone's lab report summary, and you could see the progression from the original lab report down the line as it morphed... it was like a game of telephone! We got about a third of an inch of rain yesterday morning, but as I was out fertilizing this morning, it sprinkled on and off. My dog walker neighbor said "did it just start raining?" as she walked by with her two dogs for their usual long walk. The sprinkles lasted even into this afternoon.

Deborah - lol, I adore your pig bird bath!! :) :) That's darling!! That was me about HB-101 roses/Palatine. :) I laughed about lame man and escaped goat. :) Oh, you have true friends!! I'm glad you had such a wonderful day with them. I love the expression "well chuffed." Mmmm...the food sounds and looks delicious!! Ugh and yay about the weather. The ugh part is that the lows for tonight jumped up to 4C/39F...so I didn't need to cover them, and I brought in all of my strawberry plants...and there's a lot. Oh well, when I wake up, this will be in my rearview mirror. :) The good thing is that I'm done with blankets, clips and watering with buckets. YAY!!!! Finally!!!! Thank you, and may your roses be ever healthy and blooming fools!! :)

Susan - nice that you're getting some gentle rain. :) We had a touch of snow...just a faint kiss. :)

Happy Birthday again, Deborah. Our day mirrored yours since we spent it celebrating Jemma's birthday. Is your bday April 27th too? As we left a very interesting restaurant this afternoon, it started to sprinkle and for hours we had some rain mixed with sprinkles. Jemma is very definite and organized about her parties. She does her own decorating, bakes her own fancy cake, and chooses the restaurant we have dinner in. Her three layer cake was adorned with lavender and a grayed pink frosting and we were ordered to wear pink (women) or purple (men). She is the very model of a modern major general. She knew we were comin, and she baked a cake. Howja do, howja do, howja do. Is that a fetal pig in the last pic? Sorry. Your day sounds delightful and those are impressive edibles on the table.....I just read the news that a prehistoric mollusc, thought extinct for millions of years, has been found living off the Santa Barbara coast. Did you have clams this afternoon, by any chance? I just need to lay off this razzing.

Susan, the level of cheating seems to have risen in the last several decades. Seriously, I don't remember ever passing lab results around. What has become of the youth of this world? And you had rain, too.

Carol, my grandmother said "Oh, my stars and garters", as well as "land o' Goshen", as all of you know by now. And I'm old. I remember that cake song Deborah quoted being popular when I was a kid. Was the singer Patti Page? I know you'll be on it, so I won't bother with the research. This forum seems to have died today until Deborah told us about her party. I did no gardening, either. Hope your weather is nice still. Did it rain up your way, too?

Windowsill, I loved your photos so much. The New York skyline brought a bit moisture to my eyes. It's been so long, and I doubt I will make it back for another visit. What a gorgeous photo, not to mention the cherry trees. Sublime! And so is Penny. Were those some kind of double hibiscus in the first two photos? I'm sure I'm very wrong, but they are stunning and so unusual. Looks like some pretty dogwood, too. Thank you so much for these evocative photos. Diane

Phooey, I was wrong. Patti Page sang the Tennessee Waltz, which I listened to on the radio at age four, and I knew the words. Still do. Diane

The late Easy Does It

Good Morning Rosie Friends,

Beautiful roses & photos!

I’m working a ton now….. but today I need to garden…. A&A potted 3 roses are at front doir step for me to pick up! I have hydrangeas to prune & more……all bare root rises go out to the porch! YAY!

Little time to chat. Catch you more this evening….

Carol,

Time to Celebrate! No mor blanketing! Hip Hip Hooray! Put those risrs in the back yardd & enjoy spring! My bare root roses all go out to the porch today! Another Hooraaah! Carch you later…. Many colorful tulips really blooming…. today! Need to get photos….

Deborah,

I read and sovenjoyed your post about your birthday Tea! How kind of your friends! Wgat a beautiful party! I need to read it again this evening…. such a unique and lovely idea!

Windowsill,

Gorgoreous gardens! Amazing Kwanszans photos-breathtakingly beautiful! WishvIcwas there! Sweet Penny enjoying the park! TeyvAlfalfa-I read anout it’s nutrient elements… check Ingrid’s rise griwingv thread…. it’s fabulous!!! I was amazed. I’m buying just the plain alfalfa this week to add to my roses & Plant Tone. And fish fert! Lol!

Diane,

Easy Does It almost looks like Augusta Louise! ED is so beautiful! Do you almost have buds on roses now? Funny! My Julietta Cerise, under grow lamp/next to window barely has a few white feeder roots, lots of leaves (oh, not fully leaved yet.) However, she is forning a ”Rose Bud!” Unbelievable to me! Today my siaking roses go out in pirch to harden off…. soon to be planted.

SOIL SCIENCE FUN!

(Soent morning researching, ….. but now gotta run…..)

I was interested in soil quality of different states after reading about your soil. I guess you already knew. However, it was illuminating for me to read that Southern Idaho generally has alkaline, low acidic soil, and most gardeners add sulfur and other additives to raise the PH to 6.5 or 7 ph.

In Oregon, it’s often too acidic and gardeners are adding lime to their lawns & garden beds to reduce the acid level for gardening. When I was in Portland, OR I just used a lot of Miracle Gro soil so it was already balanced, however, gardeners put lime on my lawn to reduc.e acid. My friend Chris just put lime on his lawn, too.

Recently, I looked up my NY Fingerlakes area for soil. Turns out it is supposed to be a little acidic soil here, too. (I thought it was more akaline) I read most soils here are 4.5-7PH. I just noticed we had incredibly wet clay and amend it with ”everything possible!” LOL! I don’t think we are as acidic as PNW, but we do have a lot of rhododendrons & tons of rain.

NYC has more acidic soul because of so much rain.

Looking at NJ, I read the soil is moderately acidic just below 7 PH which sounds perfect for roses. Near the NJ coast it may be more acidic.

Southern CA is more akaliine.such as LA where I used to live. I read some gardeners add sulfur to acidify it, but again, I brought in new enriched soil so my roses did well.

Soils are so different everywhere. Some have just sand for soil. in beaches of CA. There is a special method to amend it….removing some sand, using leaf compost, and amending it with better soil is recommended.

As a consultant, I advised in past how to amend these soils. Anyway, it’s different in every area. Fascinating! Fun research!

With all our amendment choices, our roses have so many opportunities to flourish!

For Diane & Carol,

After your garden work-outs! And I know how much we all love beets….LOL! My lettuce & carrots are conversing….At the end of today….

Time to garden today….. this is a tribute to our gardening…..LOL!

And my garden is mostly ” green leaves,” LOL! No Versailles here! 72F, great garden weather today!

Carol, coming to the end of in and out and covering plants, life just got easier. yay!!! Kitty, you arent taking care of your ladies anymore? What are you having done to your house? Deborah, happy happy birthday blessings. It sounds like your tea was wonderful. What good friends.

I have a question . I still need to plant something at my clematis’s feet. Other than a rose , what would you suggest? Im thinking for a temporary solution that I might use wave petunias. What else would work ?

Kristine,

Petunias sound really good! Impatients are pretty and last all season. I don’t have any plants at the base of my clematis, but it grows reallly leafy & I keep it from too much heat. My temps get at most 80-90F, only. i am a MK Cosmetic Consultant now. It’s a more flexible job which works best now. My roof & chimney had a ptoblem w/ a tornado & is being repaired! Thise pesky tornadis in NY! LOL! ( We used to never have tormados. It’s all ik…. shouod be fixed by May end. All is good!

Have a lovely garden day! Loved your turkey guard-funny!

Kristine - if you’re thinking petunias - I’m obsessed with the Proven Winners Supertunia, esp the latte, silver berry pink, and a deep purple one. They really knock my socks off!

My version, Diane, is my parents singing! And then years later the duet w Ethel Merman & Ray Bolger. My birthday was last week, but that was also Easter, so celebrated yesterday.
LETTUCE celebrate Carol getting to leave her roses out! 🥳

Thanks for the Supertunia reommendation Deborah . I wonder if Home Depot sells them ?

Deborah, what a fun birthtea your friends put on for you. I love the pig birdbath too. As for mangling, my children say could of instead of could have. I've given up being part of the grammar police.

Yay, Carol, for the great uncovering.

Love the cartoons, Kitty.

We've had a number of showery days, and roses that were almost BS free have finally succumbed. Chippendale's soft looking foliage is surprisingly unaffected.

Happy Rose Unblanketing Day to all who celebrate! Well, I guess it's mostly just you, Carol, who celebrates, but I'm very happy for you! That means spring is really here.

Deborah/Kitty -- I got some Down to Earth brand alfalfa meal and buried it a bit in my rose pots. Maybe I'll try a tea next time. If I get any more basal breaks, I'll be thrilled. I rarely get them indoors, but I did get one on Beverly and one on Perfume Factory this spring, which felt like a big deal for me. lol

Deborah -- Your bday party looks like it was beautiful! You must have great friends.

Diane -- Those first two blooms were tree peonies. It's funny, because I always want to escape the city any chance I get. I've realized I'm not really a city person, but I do like city things (museums, the food, ballet), if that makes sense. I think I just need to strike it rich and buy a country house, and then I could enjoy the best of both worlds. Is that too much to ask for? ;)

Happy mail arrived today: Eugène de Beauharnais from Rogue Valley Roses, with two buds. This is the second high-quality specimen I've received from RVR this spring. This is my first foray into OGRs, so we'll see how this Napoleonic gentleman tolerates the windowsill lifestyle!

Kristine, I think Fred Meyer carries Supertunias. Elaine buys them there. Diane

Windowsill,

Enjoy your foray back into time w/ OGRs! Eugene looks lovely! OGRs are pretty hardy-may do really well! Happy Roses, enjoy your new alfalfa food!

Trish, A little humor today! How’s your Versailles garden? We all work so hard…. at our dream gardens! I think I oughta go for ”I just planted a flower!” Would be easier! Chuckle.

Well….. maybe I just olanted a flowers……

My bulbs are blooming today!

Tulips

Gardenia Daffodil

Windton Churchill Daffodil (Gardenia daff)

Varieties of Daffs

Roses- ”Got Nodes, Got Leaves!”

Roald Dahl

Emily Bronte

Bethsheba

Constance

Most roses almost fully leaved. Just a few photos above…..Some also have nodes & few leaves.

Windowsill, yes, tree peonies. I didn't even think of that. I wouldn't want to live in NYC, but I have very happy memories of visiting there. Oops, dinner's ready. Diane

My A&A packages today….

Anastasia is being nosey, again…. checking out my 3 boxes of 3 roses….

Packaged in lovely green biodegradable

bags, burlap w/ wooden labels, and potted.

Blushing Parasol has 2 buds.

Perky Parasol

Northanger Abbey

Looking at those deep green leaves, I better buy some more fertilizer for my other roses! LOL!

Desiree and Deep Secret from Heirloom came today. :) :) I had just gotten back from Spa Ritual (hot stone massage...went into a coma of relaxation, lol) and saw the box. I was really happy with how they were delivered and how tall the canes are. My body was too loosey-goosey to plant anything today.

Diane - that makes it SO much easier that Jemma organizes her own parties. Excellent!! She even bakes her own cake and decorates it!! I'm impressed. :) You even had to dress in a certain color...Jemma is unique! I know that cake song too. Eileen Barten sang it. I'd never heard of her before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1wEVPqFFCg That is really interesting about the prehistoric mollusk still existing today! Nope, we had no rain. And the roses don't need to be covered tonight!! YAY!!! Tomorrow is debatable...probably a no except for the babies. Your EDI blooms in the last picture could almost be Augusta Luise! Really big, luscious blooms! I used to dance to the Tennessee Waltz with my small girls in my arms. :) I still love that song.

Kitty - Yeah, babee!!! No more blankets...Spring is here!! No, still too early for the roses to go in the backyard. We can still have cold night weather until the end of May and the roses have to be together so I have enough blankets to cover them. I sure wish they could go back out already. I'm really happy about your bareroot roses being able to be outside now!! Hurrah for us!! We both had the same though about Diane's Easy Does It looking like Augusta Luise. lol A rosebud on your cutting? Wow!! That is so cool!! :):) That was really interesting reading/learning about soil. Those cartoons are cute. I'd be the one planting a flower. I don't have the imagination to do a big garden plan. Oh, you're doing Mary Kay as your job. I hope that's going well for you. :)

Kristine - yes...the weather is getting so much better! YAY!!!

Deborah - yes, lettuce celebrate that!! I'm so happy not to be fussing with blankets. I guess I'll cut back the ruined top growth on my roses tomorrow.

Trish - that one bugs me...could of. And double negatives bug me, too. We celebrated the roses being okay without blankets by ordering in food yesterday. :)

Hopefully, this post won't be interrupted. No more one liners.

Carol, I like your reasoning for ordering in food--no blankets on roses. Let's make a list of reasons for not cooking. There was wind today. That's one of mine. Anyway, most things are looking really good, and Munstead Wood has a bud with color showing, and roses all seem to have buds, except for the basket case of Evelyn in back. I'm seriously thinking about getting an Evelyn replacement for this rose at Edwards next week. We're going then so I can get Ray's hot peppers as well as perennials. After dredging up those old pics of Easy Does It, I might get one of those. I've always thought the pics looked like Augusta Luise when she is colorful, but AL has much larger blooms. EDI is small for me, so I might be able to fit it in somewhere. Of course, I don't know what the rose selection will be like. Many roses are prepaid for and no longer available. I hope good weather is in your future. We have an 82F coming up. Just one day. Weird. I'm happy about the little rain we got--better than nothing.

Windowsill, I'm back. Sorry for the interruption. That's very exciting about Eugene d B. I think we'll all be interested in seeing how this rose takes to apartment living, and if anyone can grow good roses in an apartment, it's you. Your new plant looks great, and I love those free buds.

Kitty, I'm the carrot and have been for the last two months of garden slavery. I am so impressed with all your bulb blooms. The yellow tulip with the red margin at the petal edges is especially pretty and also the lovely orange tulip with lighter petal edges. Your A&A plants are wonderful. That's a relief after the drama of a lot of this mail order. Your plants in the ground look great, too. How long have you had Bathsheba? I've always wanted one, but it's a tall climber, and a no no. Anyway, well done with the bulbs and new rose plantings. It all will be beautiful. Diane

Blasts from the past. Frederic Mistral.

Blueberry Hill

More Fred.

A very chubby Bosco.

Princess Alexandra of Kent

Kitty, lovely bulbs, and what wonderfully healthy-looking roses from A&A.

Diane, honestly, that photo of PAoK makes it very hard to see why you got rid of her! Fred was lovely, and what a wonderful colour Blueberry Hill has/had. I wish my chubbiness suited me the way it does Bosco.

I bought a new rug for my bedroom this morning - 40% off, and not that expensive to begin with. The guy who cleans my carpets said he didn't think my present rug would stand another clean. Got a much nicer one for less than I paid for the original. Now I have to vacuum and wash the wooden floor, and have decided the job won't be properly done unless I pull the bed and side tables out from the wall. Ugh. Oh well, better get to it.............

Trish, it's funny how one thing leads to another. Maybe not so funny, but you will like your new carpet and everything will be so clean. I should do a whole lot of cleaning, too. On to other topics. If I had a photo of how PAoK looked in the heat of summer, you would understand why she had to go. Her blooms changed to little coral things with fewer petals. She didn't even look like the same rose. I've never had a rose do a major change like that. It was pretty shocking. Thank you for the nice comments. I miss Fred the most. He was a lovely rose with a beautiful scent....Hope all is well with your ponds and garden. Diane

Big Purple way back when.

A long time ago. Things were pretty bare then.

Windowsill - I think that's a great idea for a holiday... Rose Unblanketing day!! :) :) Thank you for this great honor. lol I'm like you, my roses hardly ever get new basal breaks. Your Perfume Factory got one...I'll take a close look at mine in the coming months to see if it gets one too. Wow! Your EdB rose looks great!! What a bonus, to get 2 buds!

Kitty - love your tulips! My favorites are the first (is that a bee or a wasp?), the 4th (great pic!), and the orange. Your roses look great...super healthy! I can't believe that your roses from A & A are leafed out and ready to grow!! Excellent quality!

Diane - LOL...there was wind today...order food, stat!! :) :) How about: my roses needed me all day...no time to cook. :) You have buds already! And MW shows signs of opening soon. Order food!!! :) :) Well, why not...an Evelyn replacement sounds like a great idea. :) Have a look around at Edwards...you may find another rose treasure that needs to come home with you. Ooooh...82F...backwards it's 28C...same temperature. Friday, we're getting 26C/79F...mmmmm :) :) I'm sooo looking forward to it! SWOON over your roses!!! I was gobsmacked by your FM bush!! How romantic!!! SWOON!!! Your Boscobel bloom is to die for!! Honestly, what a looker!! And PAoK...WOWZA!!!! You grow roses like no one else can. I love that first pic of Big Purple...what a color!

Trish - I love it when a sale comes right when you need one. Good job getting a rug on sale. :) Oh, no...now you made more work for yourself. lol

Thank you, Friends regarding my tulips & new roses. Lots if bulbs blooming now. My A&A 3 new potted roses look the best of any own-root roses I ever received. Thick big 2year old canes, darkest green leaves & couple buds-look super healthy. Rare to send 2 year old own-roots-Hooray! Niceeee!

Carol,

Maybe you can purchase from A&A next season & choose from grafted or these Eufloria own root potted leaved roses? They are big own-roots with buds, too. Hope they sell to Canada. They are thinking on it.

Diane & Trish,

Thank you! Diane, Lovely blast from past roses! Your beautiful roses are so nice to see in the morning! Thank you for sharing! Trish, I hope you enjoy your new rug! Fun cleaning time! LOL!

I did some research on Eufloria Flowers/roses (sold by A&A.) I posted my research on the “A&A Houzz thread. “ Pretty amazing the heritage of Eufloria roses-centuries of horticulture (relatives) experience, Family business heritage over 2 centuries. Danish King’s Gardener’s daughter & hubby background, and a great gandfather did innovations in green houses and more anazing history. Eufloria has had their roses in the Pasadena Rose Parade, The White House, Florist Magazine, and at the Kentucky Derby. Fun to read! And a you tube video tour of Eufloria Farm in Nipoto, CA near Santa Barbara. Love to visit their farm!

A&A roses from Eufloria, grown at Eufloria in America, ,-Eufloria potted roses are shipped from Santa Monica, CA, - farm direct -to your home-the customer. Cool!

Deborah or Susan

You could visit the Eufloria Farm in Nipoto, CA, north of Santa Barbara. Maybe close to you? Wish I could tour it. Some day! 😊🥀

My new rose above post is Blushing Paradol

(from Eufloria website.)?

Today is 84F & tomorrow 54F, HA!

Carol, you got Desiree, ysy yay!! I hope that it does well for you. I love mine so much! Diane, you should get another Easy Does It. They are so beautiful and not huge, but your garden seems to grow behemoths. I got a 6 pack of Wave petunias at Freds. I will check and see if they are the Supetunia. They should be, they were expensive enough.

Trish, your new rug will be lovely. But I can relate to one thing leading to another. My sister bought me a turquise rocking chair for my front porch. I dont want to put it out there until I wash the siding and I should touch up the paint. While I am at it, I might as well paint the front door. While Im painting the front door, I might as well change the color. Yep, I get it lol. I will do before and after. I am saying goodbye to my lime green door for turquise ( geeze I wish I could remember how to spell thst word lol)

Kristine, Proven Winners biggest seller of all its plants, and this has been for at least 10 years, is Supertunia Vista Bubblegum. It's gorgeous and is the one Elaine had decorating her patio. There are other gorgeous petunias in the Vista series. If I went back to growing petunias, that's right where I'd start. And we've had a couple of turquoise doors for several years. Love them. They were red, but things must change, right? I'll see if Edwards still has some Easy Does It. My problem isn't just lack of space, it's tree roots. I grew EDI for about four years and it never got big, but it had problems with our cold winters. We had a horrible zone 5 winter in 2016-17.

Thanks, Kitty. I'll see if I can find more blasts.

Carol, so 82F is the same as 28C, a new factoid for me to shove in my aging brain, and another excuse to not cook. Actually, I'm cooking one of my standbys: homemade chicken noodle soup. I make my own chicken broth and keep it in the freezer, and a cucumber and onion salad with a special homemade dressing. If I were really motivated, I'd make garlic cheese biscuits, but not this time. Congrats on your new PM. I'll leave it at that. Diane

More blasts that I still grow. Ring around the Angel Face.

Bernstein-Rose a Tantau.

Silver Lace dusty miller, difficult to find, grown by Elaine. I haven't had one in years.

Remember this? One of Clare's dolls confronting a puzzled Clancy. Clare made all the doll's clothes, including the shoes. She made the doll head and wig and used custom made legs and arms and hands, I think.

Ring around the Love Song.